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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · craft · march · court · prune · bowl · board · key

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. key — in music
  5. current — electric
  6. key — the most important part
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. court — of a king
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. march — the month
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. court — of law
  16. current — of water
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — the month
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — boats
  22. key — for a lock
  23. march — music
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com